Hair Gets Groovy During Packed Opening Night in Central Park

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The psychedelic pulse of Hair hit Central Park on August 7, as the cast of the 40th anniversary revival of of the peace-loving show took its opening night bows in front of a packed house at the Delacorte Theatre. The Age of Aquarius dawned in the park as a star-studded audience, including big names like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Kathleen Turner and original Hair cast member Ben Vereen, watched. The tribal love-rock musical is especially significant to the Public, as it was the first show ever to debut at a then fledgling Shakespeare Public Theater in 1967 (the show eventually moved to Broadway, of course). At the end of night's performance, as a heady cast including Spring Awakening alum Jonathan Groff and 110 in the Shade's Will Swenson gathered onstage for their infectious finale, the sky opened up and poured rain on the ecstatic audience and players, lending a little extra drama to an already remarkable evening. A damp but joyous afte